A/N Well, here's more of my little story. I knew I'd be stirring some
disagreement about Hermione's age, but let's face it, we have no real proof
one way or the other, so bear with me and let me do it my way, ok? Sorry
for getting Alicia's age wrong, I had somehow got the idea she was Wood's
age (according to PS this MIGHT even be true), but then she'd still be a
bit too old. I just thought it was a nice idea, and I don't expect her to
appear again, anyway.
May 1st, 1980
"Good morning, darling," the sun was pouring through the bedroom window, and George was standing beside his wife's side of the bed, carrying a breakfast tray. "Have a lovely birthday!"
"Mmmm," was the somewhat indistinct reply. She started rubbing her eyes, then opened them to look at him. "How nice ... So you don't think I'm getting too old for you?"
"Never!" came the answer. George put down his tray, sat down on the bed and took her in his arms, starting kissing her ...
"Mummieee!"
They both jumped.
"Hermione?" Prudence whispered incredulously. She rushed out of bed and into the nursery, George following on her heels, just as surprised.
They found their daughter standing next to the door, holding on to the frame, and looking up at them with a big proud grin.
"Mummy, Daddy!"
"Hermy!" Prudence got down on her knees in front of her, folding her in her arms. "How did you ... It's absolutely amazing!" she added, turning to George. "I've never heard anything like it. Not only has she started to walk without ever going through the crawling stage, but she's said her first words, too! At her age! It's unbelievable! Oh baby, I'm so proud of you!" And she swung her daughter, who screamed with delight, high into the air.
*
"Look, here's that cat again," George said when they were leaving the house with the pram to go for a walk in the beautiful weather.
"Yes, I've seen her around before," Prudence agreed, looking at the large tabby cat that was sitting on the low wall of their front garden. "She's easy enough to recognise, isn't she, with these large marks around the eyes, almost as if she was wearing spectacles... Let's buy some food for her when we get to the supermarket, maybe she's hungry. "
"She certainly doesn't look hungry to me," George replied, inspecting the animal more closely who was looking at them attentively. "Here, Kitty- kitty, ... " he bent down to pat the cat, but it gave him a deeply disdainful look before it got up, stretched and arched its back and leapt lazily down from the wall to disappear in the bushes.
"Oh, I'm sorry – " George, who usually got along with cats very nicely, stammered, taken aback. And his wife giggled, "Well you certainly cut no ice with this one!"
*
"Preposterous!" Minerva McGonagall was fuming. "Cat food! And trying to pat me on the head! Well, I never ... "
"They meant you no harm, Minerva," Dumbledore's voice sounded amused. "How could they have known who you were? They were only trying to be kind. Anyway, is everything all right at Unicorn Drive? Is she making progress?"
"She is. Started walking today and used her first words. Yes, Beltaine is still a powerful date."
"So it is," he agreed. "Well, we'll check again on her first birthday, need to give her a present, don't you think so? And it will be time to appear in some dreams again, too ... "
Professor McGonagall did not look as if she relished the idea of appearing in anybody's dream, in fact, she almost snorted.
"Don't fuss, Minerva. Where's your sense of humour? I always enjoy these occasions, and it's also quite educational, too, seeing how the muggle mind works."
"Well, you may have a point here, I admit. Still, I don't really like the idea. Anyway, if you'll excuse me, there are quite a few papers for me to mark..."
"By all means, don't let me keep you," Dumbledore said almost meekly, but when the door had almost closed behind her, he added, under his breath, "Kitty-kitty..."
May 1st, 1980
"Good morning, darling," the sun was pouring through the bedroom window, and George was standing beside his wife's side of the bed, carrying a breakfast tray. "Have a lovely birthday!"
"Mmmm," was the somewhat indistinct reply. She started rubbing her eyes, then opened them to look at him. "How nice ... So you don't think I'm getting too old for you?"
"Never!" came the answer. George put down his tray, sat down on the bed and took her in his arms, starting kissing her ...
"Mummieee!"
They both jumped.
"Hermione?" Prudence whispered incredulously. She rushed out of bed and into the nursery, George following on her heels, just as surprised.
They found their daughter standing next to the door, holding on to the frame, and looking up at them with a big proud grin.
"Mummy, Daddy!"
"Hermy!" Prudence got down on her knees in front of her, folding her in her arms. "How did you ... It's absolutely amazing!" she added, turning to George. "I've never heard anything like it. Not only has she started to walk without ever going through the crawling stage, but she's said her first words, too! At her age! It's unbelievable! Oh baby, I'm so proud of you!" And she swung her daughter, who screamed with delight, high into the air.
*
"Look, here's that cat again," George said when they were leaving the house with the pram to go for a walk in the beautiful weather.
"Yes, I've seen her around before," Prudence agreed, looking at the large tabby cat that was sitting on the low wall of their front garden. "She's easy enough to recognise, isn't she, with these large marks around the eyes, almost as if she was wearing spectacles... Let's buy some food for her when we get to the supermarket, maybe she's hungry. "
"She certainly doesn't look hungry to me," George replied, inspecting the animal more closely who was looking at them attentively. "Here, Kitty- kitty, ... " he bent down to pat the cat, but it gave him a deeply disdainful look before it got up, stretched and arched its back and leapt lazily down from the wall to disappear in the bushes.
"Oh, I'm sorry – " George, who usually got along with cats very nicely, stammered, taken aback. And his wife giggled, "Well you certainly cut no ice with this one!"
*
"Preposterous!" Minerva McGonagall was fuming. "Cat food! And trying to pat me on the head! Well, I never ... "
"They meant you no harm, Minerva," Dumbledore's voice sounded amused. "How could they have known who you were? They were only trying to be kind. Anyway, is everything all right at Unicorn Drive? Is she making progress?"
"She is. Started walking today and used her first words. Yes, Beltaine is still a powerful date."
"So it is," he agreed. "Well, we'll check again on her first birthday, need to give her a present, don't you think so? And it will be time to appear in some dreams again, too ... "
Professor McGonagall did not look as if she relished the idea of appearing in anybody's dream, in fact, she almost snorted.
"Don't fuss, Minerva. Where's your sense of humour? I always enjoy these occasions, and it's also quite educational, too, seeing how the muggle mind works."
"Well, you may have a point here, I admit. Still, I don't really like the idea. Anyway, if you'll excuse me, there are quite a few papers for me to mark..."
"By all means, don't let me keep you," Dumbledore said almost meekly, but when the door had almost closed behind her, he added, under his breath, "Kitty-kitty..."